Process of producing trap jaws



May 18, 1926. 1,585,526

L. A. BEARDSLEY PROCESS OF PRODUCING TRAP JAWS Filed April 2 1924 mam! u ....:m!1 Emuuu! zmnnlumumnnn: "HI 6 INVENTOR m5 ATTORNEY Patented May 18, 1925.

UNITED STATES LESTER A. BEARDSLEY, OF NORWICH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO NORWICH WIRE WORKS, INC, 03? NORWICH, HEY V YORK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PROCESS OF PRODUCING TRAP JAWS.

Application filed April 2, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements in steel traps, commonly known as game traps, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a new and improved jaw for such traps, and a new and improved process for producing the same.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved integrally constructed double jaw for traps which may be more cheaply produced than jaws of this character as hitherto constructed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a double jaw for traps, wherein material cut or struck from one of the jaws is used in the formation of the other jaw.

More specifically my invention contemplates a double jaw for traps, comprising a unitary structure having a primary and a secondary aw, the latter jaw being formed by a cut out struck down portion of the primary jaw.

Other objects and aims of the invention more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in partpointed out in the course of the following description of the steps and the relation of each step to one or more of the others thereof employed in carrying out my process, and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a preferred form of embodiment of my invention:

Figure l is a plan view of a blank from which my improved trap jaw may be formed.

Figure 2 illustrates said blank with the pintles partially formed thereon.

Figure 3 shows the blank with the pintles completely formed.

Figure 4: is an elevational View of the blank bent into the form of a jaw, with the two grippingmembers.

Figure 5 1s a plan View of the blank shown in Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the completed blank.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views thereof, the reference numeral 1 denotes a strip of metal, preferably sheet metal, cut to the form substantially shown in Fig. 1. This strip comprises an intermediate relatively Serial No. 703,688.

into the narrower end portions 3 and 4. This blank is, of course, cut from a larger sheet of material by suitable cutting dies.

Having provided the blank 1, the end portions 3 and 4 are then preferably bent at right angles to the body of the blank, to form the portions 5 and 6. In Fig. 3 of the drawings the portions 5 and 6 have been swedged from the rectangular form shown in Fig. 2 to the circular form shown in Fig. 8. These swedged parts, which form the pintles of the trao, are denoted by the 1. reference characters 5 and 6.

described the operations wide portion 2, which wider portion merges As thus far formed on the blank 1 are usual in trap jaw construction.

Referring now to Figures l and 5 of the drawings, the partially finished blank shown in Figure 3, has been bent into the form shown in Figure a, and during the bending operation a portion of the intermediate part 2 of the blank has been severed from the body of the blank and struck down wardly, thereby providing a primary jaw 7 and a secondary jaw 8. The completion of this step, it will be observed, leaves an elongated narrow aperture or slot 9, which aperture or slot was formerly occupied by the struck down portion or secondary jaw 8, which jaw, it will be noted, upon the completion of this step, lies directly beneath the slot or aperture 9.

Having completed this step, the next operation is to close the aperture 9, and move the secondary jaw 8 forwardly to such an extent that its workin face 8 lies slightly behind the working race 7 of the primary jaw. The extent to which the working face 8 of the secondary j aw lies behind the work ing face 7 of the primary jaw, will vary according to the size of the trap aw. The purpose of the locating of the working face of the secondary jaw behind the corresponding face of the primary jaw is to equalize the work performed by these j aws, during the operation of the trap, that is to say, to provide such a construction that the co-operating opposed working faces of each pair of jaws will exert equal pressure on the leg or other part of the trapped animal, thereby increasing the etliciency of the trap.

These last described operations of closing the aierture or slot 9, and moving the primary jaw toi'wardly, are performed simul taneously by a suitably constructed die, so that when said operations hare been performed, the trap jaw takes on the form substantially illu trated irrFigure 6.

,Vhile I hare shown and described the secondary jaw as being formed from a struck out strip, intermediate the edges of the blank 1, itis obvious that this secondary jaw may be formed by st iking' downwardly a strip from either edge of the blank 1.

Likewise, my invention contemplates a structure wherein the primary jaw may be formed from the secondary jaw by striking upwardly a portion from the secondary jaw.

it will accordingly be seen that l have provided a process whereby a double or compound jaw oi a game trap may be economially constructed out of a single strip of material. It will be noted that but live operations are required to form this jaw, to wit, first, the cutting of the blank 1; second, the bending over or the end parts 5 and 6; third, the forming of the parts 5 and 6 into rounded pintles 5 and 6; fourth, the bending of the blank into the form shown in Figures i and 5, the cutting and striking down of the secondary jaw 8; and fifth, the closing of the aperture 9 and the deflecting oi the secondary jaw- 8, so that the working edge 01" said secondary jaw lies slightly behind the corresponding edge of the primary jaw.

It will also be observed that I have provided a double jaw for traps, which may be very cheaply constructed, only two operations being required for producing the primary and secondary jaws, and in one ofthese operations the blank is bent from its flat condition into the form of the jaw. The secondary jaw is integrally supported at its ends by the legs of the primary jaw, providing an exceedingly strong and durable structure.

It will be further understood that while I have shown and described a series of steps to be employed in carrying out my process, it will be understood that in some cases the order of these steps may be varied. For instance, it will be possible first to cut out and strike away a portion of the blank to form jaws before the blank has been bent into the form of the trap j aw. Thus I do not intend to be limited by the precise order of steps described herein, which, however, is the order I prefer to utilize in carrying out my process.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope o1 the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above desc 'ption or shown in the accompanying drawings shall beinterpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let-- ters Patent is:

1. The herein described. process of iormin a jaw for a trap, which consists in providing a suitable blank, forming pintles on the end portions thereof, bendi blank into the form of a trap jaw,

nd then cutting out a portion of said blank and forcing it downwardly to provide a secondary jam 2. The herein described proces of f ing a jaw for a trap, which consists in providing a suitable blank, bending sait blanl-r into the form of a trap jaw and cutting out a portion of said blank and forcing it away from the remainder oi the blank to form a secondary j aw.

The herein described process of forming a trap jaw, which consists in providing a suit able blank, and then cutting from said blank a strip of material and torc' the away from the remainder of blank to form spaced primary and secondary j a 4:. The herein described process of forming a trap jaw, which consists in providing a suitable blank, bending said blank to the form of a jaw, and cutting from said blank a strip of material, forcing said strip away from the remainder of the blank to form primary and secondary jaws.

5. The herein described process or f ming a trap jaw, which consists in providing a suitable blank, bending said blank to the form ot a jaw, cutting from said blank a strip of material, forcing said strip away from the remainder of the blank to form 7 primary and secondary aws, and then mov ing said secondary jaw forwardly until its working edge lies slightly behind the working edge oi? the primary jaw.

The herein described process of forming a trap which consists in providing a suitable blank of metal, bending said blank to the -form of a jaw, and simultaneously cutting therefrom a strip of material, and forcing the latter away from the remainder of the blank to provide a jaw, the portion of the blank from which said strip is cut and struck, also forming a jaw, and then movingsaid jaws lat rally relatively to each other, so that the working;- face of the lowermost jaw lies slightly behind the working face of the uppermost jaw.

7. The herein described process of forming a jaw lor traps, which consists in proriding; asuitably formed blank of sheet metal deliecting the end portion of suit blank, operating; upon said deflected portions to provide round-ed pintles, acting on said blank to bend it into the form of a jaw, cutting: out and striking downwardly intermediate portion o'i said blank, and r ren moving said deflected portion laterally that its edge portion lies bhind one of the edges of the blank from whichit has been severed.

8. The herein described process of forming a jaw for traps, which consists in providing a suitably shaped blank cut from a sheet 01 metal, forming rounded pintles upon the end portion of said blank, bending said blank into the form of a jaw, striking out and bending downwardly a portion of the intermediate portion of said blank to form a secondary jaw and leaving a primary jaw as a ren'iaining portion of said blank, and then deflecting laterally said secondary jaw so that its working edge lies slightly behind the working edge of the primar aw.

9. The herein described process of forming a jaw for traps, which consists in providing a suitable blank cut from a sheet of metal, bending the end port-ion of said jaw laterally and rounding them to form pintles, bending said blank into the form of a jaw, striking downwardly a portion of said blank from the main body thereof to form a secondary jaw, and then bending said secondary jaw portion laterally until its working edge lies behind the working edge portion of the primary jaw.

10. The herein described process of forum ing a jaw for steel traps, which consists in cutting a blank from a sheet of metal, bending the edge portions of said blank laterally so that said portions lie at right angles to the body of the blank, swedging said last named portions into rounded form, bending said blank into the form of a jaw, cutting and deflecting downwardly an intermediate strip from said blank to form a secondary jaw, and then operating upon said partially completed jaw to close the slot formed by the striking downwardly of said secondary jaw, and simultaneously deflecting said struck down portion laterally until its Working edge lies slightly behind the working edge of the primary jaw portion.

in testimony whereof, I atfix my signature.

- LESTER A. BEAR-DSLEY. 

